When anyone asks my opinion or advice around election time, my response is always the same: "vote early, vote often." Yes, I am being satirical. The reason I like election day is that the commercials will then END. The bad news is there will be no competition for the Christmas advertising. But that is another post...
I love this nation, but I hate its political advertising. The virulence in the negative ads is dynamite detonated in a septic tank! Even politicians I might otherwise like and respect, I don't in election season. And it only gets worse when these negative commercials are juxtaposed against the positive ones.
On the one hand, the candidate is little better than a puppy-kicking felon and on the other, they are kitten-rescuing angels.
On the one hand, those who run negative commercials stand on the sidelines with blood and guts clenched in their fists, while, on the other, they polish their halos.
America is accused of being a Christian nation. Yah, sure. If election season proves anything, it proves the DESPERATE need we have to be a forgiven nation. There is not much in those commercials that could truly answer "What Would Jesus Do?"
The amazing thing is that the hatred and virulence have actually gotten better! In 1804, when V-P Aaron Burr capped former Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, the expression of political hatred peaked.
What are we to do?
In light of election day, how about some hard questions? How does the church respond to partisan politics? What is our relationship to the political structure of the United States?
How about this? The moment Jesus endorses a candidate, will the IRS dare to pull our tax-free status because Christianity engaged in politics?
Until then, when our faith is used to justify power politics, ask what happened to the meek inheriting the earth?
When a Christian expresses our faith as a reason why political power should be used to condemn THAT sinner, ask what happened to loving our neighbor?
When Christianity is used to back political decisions to exploit and destroy the environment, ask what happened to the stewardship of our creation?
Vote with care, vote with pride. This nation is a gift and deserves our participation. But most powerfully it needs our prayers.
